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vi) Problem of law and order and the maintenance of morale of the public.

vii) Family members separated from each other requiring

information about their near and dear ones.

ECONOMIC LOSSES

Cost of disasters over the last 25 years stands at

over US$ 87 billion a year. Recent earthquake in the Northern Sumathra which also initiated several Tsunamis have resulted in killing more than 200,000 lives in addition to heavy property and infrastructural damages. A massive earthquake in China during 1976 has resulted in about 655,000 deaths.

CAUSES OF SOME OF THE NATURAL DISASTERS:

EARTHQUAKE:

There are two general categories of earthquakes

VOLCANIC

Quake are generated by volcanic activity beneath the earth’s surface.

TECTONIC

Result of shifts in the plates of the earth’s subterranean crust.

There are different basic theories involved. One is that the continents, ocean basins, mountains and plains are in a state of balance by nature. When there are dynamic disturbances, these masses try to keep their balance by slowly adjusting and that results in quakes. Another theory behind this is that earth having separated from the sun is getting cooled off and hence is shrinking. These disturbances cause earthquakes.

VOLCANO:

When the volcanic eruption inside the earth’s surface finds a path to release the energy, the hot and burning earth mass that comes out is called a “Volcano”. Depending on the depth from which it comes out, the intensity and characteristics of the volcano differ.

TSUNAMI:

Japanese term, “tsu” means port or harbour and “nami” means waves. These waves cause severe damages in the coastal areas.

Some facts about tsunami:

• An earthquake may generate a tsunami if it is of sufficient

force and there is violent movement of the earth, causing sudden displacement of water. This also depends on the depth of the water at the earthquake site.

• A tsunami is not a single wave but a series of waves, also known as a wave train. The first wave in a tsunami is not necessarily the most damaging.

• Tsunami can take from a few minutes to as much as a day to travel to a shore. The closer the land is to the event

that generated the tsunami, the sooner it will be struck.

• Tsunamis are not tidal waves. Tsunamis can be very long (as much as 60 miles or 100 kilometers) and be as far as

one hour apart. They are able to cross entire oceans without great loss of energy.

• When the ocean is deep, tsunamis can travel unnoticed at speeds up to 800 kmph, crossing the entire ocean in a day or less.

• Boats and rigs are safe from tsunamis when they are out on the open ocean.

• A tsunami may be less than 30 centimeters in height in the open ocean, and may not even be noticed. But the powerful energy of the wave travels rapidly through the ocean. Once a tsunami reaches shallow waters it is slowed down, compressing the wave energy and causing the top of the wave to heighten dramatically.

EARTHQUAKES:

Earthquakes strike suddenly, violently and without warning. Identifying potential hazards ahead of time and advance planning can reduce the dangers of serious injury

or loss of life from an earthquake. Seismographic maps of the inner plates of the earth give some clue to assess the risk of possible earthquakes and their intensities at different parts of the earth. Based on the potential for earthquakes and their likely intensities, “Earthquake Zones” are notified by geological research institutions. This would give some idea on the urban planning including activities like construction of dams, factories, nuclear installations and other geologically sensitive constructions. This will at least control the calamities that might occur in future.

SAFETY TIPS

EARTHQUAKE.

(i) Check for hazards of falling objects and keep them secured.

(ii) Make sure all family members know how to respond immediately to an earthquake.

(v) In case family members are separated from one another during an earthquake (a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school), develop a plan for reuniting after the disaster. Ask an outside relative or friend to serve as the “family contact”. Make sure everyone in the family knows the name, address and phone number of the contact person.

(vi) Leave the area if you smell gas or fumes from other chemicals.

(vii) Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it. This will minimize the chances of getting crushed.

(viii) If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed.

(ix) Never hideout under the stairs. The stairs have a different “moment of frequency” (they swing separately from the main part of the building) and may collapse even before the building.

(x) It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.

TSUNAMI:

Be aware of the following warning signs and quickly move

out to safer high ground areas nearby:

(i) An earthquake is a natural tsunami warning. Be awarethat a massive earthquake can trigger a tsunami thousands of miles across the ocean many hours after the seismic event.

(ii) An approaching tsunami is sometimes preceded by noticeable fall or rise in the water level. If the ocean recedes unusually rapidly or far it’s a good sign that a big

wave is on its way. Go to high ground immediately.

(iii) Tsunamis can approach the shore as fast as 160 kmph it is often too late to get away after seeing - A tsunami cannot be outrun.

(iv) Tsunami waves can travel not only upto the coastal areas but also to far off inland places through the river mouths and streams leading to the sea.

(v) If you feel or hear a strong earthquake do not wait for an official tsunami warning. (It may be too late when you get a warning). Tell your family and friends to join you in leaving for high grounds to be on safe side.

COMMUNITY DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PLAN:

Planned way of tackling natural disasters will enable timely action and prevent and control some of the potential losses. As part of the plan:

The community should:

* know alarm signals / sirens, if any

* follow evacuation plans as advised

* know what to do in an accident

* connect to appropriate news services in a crisis (radio or television)

Rescue services needed:

* equipment and training

* local hazard maps* to be linked with private rescue services

* arrangements for traffic management

* communication channels with public during crisis

Government authorities shall take steps for:

* safe evacuation, refuge and shelter

* making public information available

* creating emergency services and activating them when

required

* having medical services ready for a crisis

* maintaining law and order

Occurrence of natural disasters are difficult to be predicted. Research work through advanced science and technology is trying to bridge the gap. Knowing the existing limitations and considering the massive destruction caused by these natural calamities, what at best can be done is to look into the ways and means of mitigating the hardship and sufferings resulting from them.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Chennai, 11 February 2007: The cycle tour to highlight the environmental crisis in SIPCOT Cuddalore culminated today in Chennai and ended with a cultural program and solidarity meeting of city based groups who resolved to support the struggle against new polluting facilities in Cuddalore. The two day tour that resumed on Friday from Tindivanam covered a distance of about 150 km to reach Chennai. A reception was held for the cyclists at the temple square of Urur Kuppam on Elliots beach where they were welcomed by Tamil actress Kalai Rani and supporters of the Cuddalore campaign. "Industrial pollution has converted Cuddalore into a disaster zone. We are pained at the horrible environmental conditions under which people in SIPCOT Cuddalore live, and we undertook this cycle tour to appeal to the Government to improve conditions in Cuddalore," said Rupesh Kumar, a representative of Youth for Social Change, one of the coorganisers of the event.

The tour held public meetings at Tindivanam, Chegalpettau, Kovalam and was joined by students of Vidya Sagar in Besant Nagar before reaching Urur Kuppam temple square where the cultural program was held. The cultural troupe of Gana Viji presented a street play depicting the sufferings of the residents of Cuddalore due to the industrial operations. Various songs and traditional theppatam dance was also presented. Later addressing the meeting, residents of Cuddalore and Mettur who were also a part of the cycle tour informed the gathering about the problems of pollution and appealed for solidarity support in their fight against the new polluting facilities planned for Cuddalore.

Cuddalore is a toxic hotspot. Numerous reports, including by the State Human Rights Commission admit that Cuddalore is overpolluted and that no new polluting industries should be set up in the region. Rather than mitigate pollution, the Government is planning to target Cuddalore residents with more and more polluting industries. Currently, the villagers are fighting a desperate battle to prevent the setting up of a PVC plastic factory by Chemplast Sanmar in Semmankuppam village. A 1320 MW thermal power plant, several textile dyeing industries, a 6 million tonnes per annum oil refinery and a scheme to pump toxic effluents from textile dyeing units in Tiruppur is part of plans to sacrifice Cuddalore.

The tour was first launched in November 2006, where 19 members including youth from Chennai visited SIPCOT Cuddalore to have a first hand experience of the living conditions and environmental pollution in the area and bring the message back to Chennai on the cycles. The tour had to be discontinued after an accident which claimed one of the cyclists life. 20 year old K. Gurubalan drowned in a pond after he entered it for bathing while taking a break en route. The participants of the tour resumed their journey in memory of Guru to spread the message on environment. "Guru was deeply affected by the horrendous environmental condition in SIPCOT Cuddalore. His death has made our resolve to fight injustice in Cuddalore stronger," said Jeny Doly of Youth for Social Change who joined the tour for the first time.

Nity reports from Chengalpattu, 11 February, 7:00 am: We covered a distance of about 70 km yesterday from Tindivanam to Chengalpettu. The first half of the journey was very pleasant as the weather was nice. We took a lot of breaks on the way. The route itself was a treat to the eyes as the entire area is full of water bodies. Though it was a beautiful site we also shivered at the thought of what the future of the lakes would be given the government is aggressively planning new projects on the lakes of the area. In Tindivanam itself there are plans to fill up two lakes. A government medical college and a bus station will be built on the lakes. The cyclists were amused at the irony of the situation since this was happening in the home town of Minister of Health Dr. Anbumani Ramdoss of Patali Makkal Katchi (PMK) who has often talked about cleaning of tanks and lakes.

About 30 km from Tindivanam there is the famous Madurantakam lake. The lake is so massive that it looks like a sea. We saw a lot of encroachment on the lake. The highway has been constructed right on the banks of the lake also we saw massive earth movers near the lake and it seems that the government is constructing a bus station on a portion of the lake.We reached Chengalpettu and had an hour and half long meeting near the general hospital. There were songs and skits presented which related to the water shortage in the Palar basin on which Chengalpettu is located. The villagers explained that despite being in a water rich area illegal sand mining and extraction of water by companies to supply it to Chennai has made water a scarce resource in the region. G. K. Amrithalingam gave an impassioned speech on Cuddalore and informed the people about the impending dangers in Cuddalore. He appealed to the public to join hands to fight the Chemplast PVC plant proposal in Cuddalore. A Mani from Mettur spoke about Chemplast and its pollution in Mettur. He informed the people that both Chemplast and MALCO withdraw water from Stanley reservoir and then discharge poisoned water into the river Cauveri. Mani also questioned the priority of the nation highlighting that supplying water to the industries is more important to the government than quenching the thirst of water starved villagers. He informed the people that more than 2000 acres of land have been laid waste because of the pollution from Chemplast. He mentioned that as a victim of Chemplast pollution he did not want any one to face a similar fate and that was the reason why he took leave from his employer to join the rally and spread the message.

The fisher leader from Cuddalore Kuppam on the East Coast Road (not to be confused with Cuddalore district) spoke next and emphasised that Cuddalore is not a stand alone story of pollution but similar stories are everywhere. Highlighting the problems of Manali, Kalpakam atomic plant and industrial discharge in Buckhingam Canal the leader emphasised that Cuddalore was in making everywhere.

Jeny Doly of Youth for Social Change spoke about the role of youth and mentioned that the youth cannot keep quiet in these times when there is so much of injustice as they are the leaders of tomorrow. She mentioned that the youth of today cannot make the mistake of adults of today. She spoke about Gurubalan and said that last time also youth led the rally and this time their motivation is stronger many of his friends felt it is important to take the tour forward and are supporting the campaign. She mentioned that as the youth see the industrial pollution in Cuddalore as a symptom of a much larger malice of development in India and their group will encourage youth to question the path of development that the country is embarking upon and steer it towards environmentally sustainable and socially just road.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Chennai/ Tindivanam, 9 February 2007: Chennai youth and representatives from pollution-impacted communities in SIPCOT, Cuddalore and Mettur today left Tindivanam town on a cycle tour to spread awareness about environmental and human rights violations in SIPCOT Cuddalore due to industrial pollution. The tour resumed from Tindivanam where it was earlier suspended in November 2006 following a tragic incident that claimed a life of K. Gurubalan, a cyclist from the group. "Industrial pollution has converted Cuddalore into a disaster zone. We are pained at the horrible environmental conditions under which people in SIPCOT Cuddalore live, and we're undertaking this cycle tour to appeal to the Government to improve conditions in Cuddalore," said Rupesh Kumar, a representative of Youth for Social Change, one of the coorganisers of the event. The tour will cover a distance of about 150 kilometers and arrive in Chennai on 11 February 2007.

Cuddalore is a toxic hotspot. Numerous reports, including by the State Human Rights Commission admit that Cuddalore is overpolluted and that no new polluting industries should be set up in the region. Rather than mitigate pollution, the Government is planning to target Cuddalore residents with more and more polluting industries. Currently, the villagers are fighting a desperate battle to prevent the setting up of a PVC plastic factory by Chemplast Sanmar in Semmankuppam village. A 1320 MW thermal power plant, several textile dyeing industries, a 6 million tonnes per annum oil refinery and a scheme to pump toxic effluents from textile dyeing units in Tiruppur is part of plans to sacrifice Cuddalore.

The tour will hold public meetings at Tindivanam, Chegalpettau, Kovalam and will be joined by students of Vidya Sagar in Besant Nagar before culminating at Urur Kuppam temple square where it will be welcomed by the renowned Tamil actress Kalai Rani followed by a solidarity meeting of support groups from Chennai and a cultural evening.

The tour was first launched in November 2006, where 19 members including youth from Chennai visited SIPCOT Cuddalore to have a first hand experience of the living conditions and environmental pollution in the area and bring the message back to Chennai on the cycles. The tour had covered a distance of about 100 km and left Pondicherry when the accident happened. 20 year old K. Gurubalan drowned in a pond after he entered it for bathing while taking a break en route. "We were all shocked at the incident, Guru was deeply affected by the horrendous environmental condition in SIPCOT Cuddalore. His death has made our resolve to fight injustice in Cuddalore stronger," said Jeny Doly of Youth for Social Change who will be joining the tour for the first time.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

The Cuddalore municipality has proposed to fix dual charges for the households and commercial establishments for the proposed underground drainage facilities. The drainage is project estimated to cost Rs. 40.40 crore. The civic body has proposed to mobilise the resources as follows: Rs.10 crore through grant, Rs.15.36 crore through loans and Rs.15.04 crore from the households full story>>